Love Me When I'm Gone
by Collide
Summary: Rated for future language and situations. After a night together, Matt and Sora have a misunderstanding, and Matt hurts Sora. Can anything work out so the two of them will end up together?
1. What a jerk!

*I was cleaning out my computer when I came across this just sitting in my documents, so I thought I would go ahead and post it and see how it turns out. It's a very sad story about a girl and a boy who fall for each other, but are too proud to give in to their heart and tell the other how they feel. The boy leaves for a few months to go in the Army, and when he comes back, he finds the girl he had fallen so hard for is gone from him for good. Can they cope with each other after a chance meeting, or will the pain they felt apart be too much to bring them together?*  
  
Love Me When I'm Gone  
  
Clouds rolled through the sky, racing each other from one side of the earth to the other it seemed. The storm had come up suddenly, and was picking up intensity. Sitting in her bedroom, Sora Takenouchi, a young woman of 20, looked out her window at the impending tempest. For a moment she wished she was one of the clouds being blown away. Anything to get her out of Odaiba and away from him, the one who had caused her so much pain in the past month she could barely tolerate waking up each morning. Running a hand through her strawberry locks absently, Sora watched the storm unleash its fury onto her neighborhood. Rain pelted everything outside with much force. Trees bent crazily as the wind howled and blew garbage cans across the streets. Sora's crimson eyes looked wistfully out into the rainstorm as she opened her journal and began to write.  
  
'Today was my breaking point on every possible level. . . ' Sora wrote slowly, her controlled cursive deceiving anyone who would happen to read it. At that point in time, she wasn't controlled, she was flying out of hand and couldn't stabilize herself.  
  
"It's so funny how one person can make you lose your mind. . . " Sora remarked to herself as she continued to write the details of her day onto the clean paper.  
  
Half an hour away, a young blonde was also sitting at home lying in bed. All he could think about was her, how she had captured his heart and didn't even know it. Every time he tried to find the words to express his adoration of her, something would come between them, making things more and more difficult. In a way, he was driving her away from him, and he knew it. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was screaming for his heart to stop caving in to what his head wanted. But that never happened, and for Matt Ishida, Sora Takenouchi seemed to get farther and farther away from him. Matt's soulful blue eyes looked at the ceiling, confusion written in them.  
  
'I should tell her before I go. I owe her that much. When I get back she'll be gone and I might lose the chance to tell her how I feel about her. I wish I hadn't joined the reserves. I wish I could stay here and hold her forever. But I can't, which is what started this whole problem in the first place. If only I had met her sooner. . . ' Matt thought as he yawned loudly and turned onto his side. It was getting late, and he had another busy day ahead of him at school.  
  
Sighing, Matt turned out the light and pulled the blankets over his shoulders. Saying a silent prayer for guidance, Matt closed his eyes and drifted to sleep. In his dreams his thoughts traveled back to the day he met his soul mate, and the bitter months that drove them apart.  
  
*Matt's dream*  
  
April started off with a bang for Matt Ishida. Not only was it April Fools Day, it was the first day of classes at the University of Tokyo's Odaiba branch. Now not only did he have to deal with his seventeen year old brother's antics, but he had to suffer through three classes as well. Sighing, Matt slid out of his soft bed and set his feet on the floor. He stood and immediately slipped and fell to the floor. He touched the floor and noticed it was covered in petroleum jelly and grimaced. His brother TK's laughter erupted from his room when he heard his brother collide with the floor.  
  
"April Fool's!" TK shouted from his room. Matt frowned until he heard TK start yelling angrily. Glancing at the super glue on his nightstand, Matt's frown turned into a wicked grin.  
  
"April Fool's yourself!" Matt called back triumphantly. TK walked into Matt's room as he was getting up and frowned, motioning with his eyes to his hands, which were securely super glued together. His sleepy blue eyes were angry for a moment, but Matt pulled out a solvent that would undo the glue, and dabbed it on TK's hands.  
  
"There ya go. Now next time I find you doing some stupid trick to me, I'll superglue your hand to something . . . not so nice." Matt threatened good naturedly. TK pulled his hands apart and went into the bathroom to wash them. Matt changed into a black button down shirt and black jeans. He ran a comb through his messy blonde hair, then spiked it up into a messy style again. TK came out of his room dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, his hair just as messy as his brother. For a moment, the dark side met the light side. TK grabbed some toast and his car keys before leaving Matt to go to his school. Matt snagged a piece of fruit, then took his keys, locking the apartment he shared with his brother before heading toward the college.  
  
'People drive so f-ing slow!' Matt swore to himself as he got caught behind a fourth geriatric in an Oldsmobile. Sighing with frustration, Matt looked at his watch and noticed he only had a few more minutes to get to school, otherwise he would be late . . . again. He pulled into the entrance of the college and drove speedily around the curvy driveway and into the first parking lot. No, there were no spots there, what was he thinking? Matt growled and drove into the second lot, where there were still no places.  
  
"What in the freakin' world!?" Matt said out loud before going into the farthest parking lot and finally finding a spot in the last row. He got out of his white Honda Civic and grabbed his things, walking briskly toward his first class, which was just a short walk from the first parking lot. In Matt's case, it was a hike from his parking place, and he was not happy at all about it.  
  
'They should arrange parking by rank. . . juniors shouldn't be parking in the last row. . . ' Matt thought as he walked faster. He wasn't paying attention to what was going on around him and suddenly collided with something soft and fell to the ground hard.  
  
"Hey watch it! There's plenty of sidewalk for both of us!" Matt heard a feminine voice bark. He looked over next to him where the voice originated and saw a young woman his age sitting on the ground, her books and papers scattered everywhere. She had flame red hair that was pulled into a sporty ponytail and was wearing jeans and a baby tee shirt that said something about Wisconsin on it. Her rust colored eyes glared into Matt's sapphire eyes angrily. Cursing to himself, Matt stood up and grabbed his things.  
  
"Sorry. . . " Matt muttered as he started to jog toward the classroom building, leaving the girl he collided with still sitting on the ground. The girl watched the boy jog away and gathered her things. Now she was going to be even later to her class. As she walked briskly toward the building she mentally swore at the blonde who had knocked her down and not even had the decency to help her up.  
  
Matt walked into his class through the back door and took a seat in the corner desk. The teacher looked up at him but didn't stop his introduction to comment on Matt's tardiness. Matt slumped in his seat and threaded his hand through his hair with frustration. He didn't see the point of even going to college if he was going to be in the army anyway. But they were paying for it, and he had no choice. He'd been through Basic, and was going to be shipped out sometime in the next year to some place where he would keep peace. That was his life until he got out of the army, after three years. Then he would be a musician, also a profession that didn't require schooling. Matt suddenly realized that the class was silent, and that everyone was watching him with interest.  
  
"I assume you're Ishida Matt?" the professor snipped, pointing to Matt. Matt nodded and sighed as the class giggled childishly.  
  
"Then you're not in your assigned seat. You belong over here next to Miss Takenouchi." The professor said, smugly pointing to another seat in the very front of the room. Matt gathered his things and stood, but stopped in his tracks when he saw who he was going to be sitting next to.  
  
'Seriously, is anyone up there lookin' out for me?' Matt said to himself as he took a seat next to the very girl he'd knocked down a mere ten minutes before. Matt looked at her, and she returned his stare with an angry glare.  
  
'It's going to be a long quarter. . . ' Matt thought as the lecture began.  
  
*So what do you think? So far things aren't exactly great, Sora isn't too thrilled with Matt's rudeness, and Matt's (honestly) a jerk. Can anything make these two become friends? Read the next chapter to find out! Thanks!* 


	2. She hates me

*New chapter time! I'm glad a couple people liked this so far and I hope if you read it you'll either like it or get something from it, and send out a review, or hate it and think it's lame and send out a review anyway. Whatever suits your opinion. Thanks!*  
  
Love Me When I'm Gone  
  
Matt stared straight ahead while the professor introduced his class to the wonders of human biology. He didn't dare look to his side where the girl he'd run down earlier was sitting. He knew she was going to yell at him after the class, he knew he was being rude not to help her up, he was just . . . in a hurry.  
  
'Way to go, stupid, you went and made someone mad on the first freakin' day of school! Too bad, because she's a very pretty thing when she's angry, I'll bet she's even hotter when she's in a good mood.' Matt thought to himself. Matt conjured up all his courage and glanced over at the redhead beside him, catching her glancing at him. Matt smirked at the girl, who glared back venomously.  
  
"And that, class is the end of the introduction for the day. We'll begin normal lecture bright and early tomorrow, so be ready with your books if you don't already have them." The professor said, releasing the class to their own devices. Matt looked at his watch and smiled; he'd only been in class for about twenty minutes. For a three hour class, that was pretty good. Matt walked out the door and downstairs to the common room where he took a seat by a large window. He suddenly felt a tap on the shoulder and turned just in time to receive a slap to the face.  
  
"That's for being an asshole. Most people have the decency to help someone they knock over up, not blame them for their own stupid mistake. Jerk. . . " The girl muttered, walking away from Matt, who stared on in a daze.  
  
"Hey wait a minute! Wait!" Matt called, but she was gone. Angrily, Matt turned his attention to his syllabus for Biology and made a list of things he would be needing for the class. He pulled out a small notebook and wrote in it furiously, recounting the terrible day he was having.  
  
"Hey Matt! Long time no see! How was your Spring Break?" a familiar voice called to Matt. He looked up to see his best friend Tai walking up to him, his brown eyes sparkling under a mop of dark hair.  
  
"It was pretty good." Matt replied, putting down his book and making room for his friend. Tai sat down with his friend, and chatted with him for a moment before smiling broadly.  
  
"Hey! Matt I want you to meet someone I met this break. Her name's Sora." Tai said. Matt couldn't see who was behind him, and as he turned around to say hello, his tongue practically dried up inside his mouth.  
  
"Hey, I'm -" Matt started, but couldn't finish as he came face to face once again with the girl who he'd so recently gotten slapped by. Once again, azure met ruby, and her eyes narrowed fiercely.  
  
'Sora . . . . ' Matt thought as he looked at Sora with similarly angry eyes.  
  
*Okay, it's short I know, but you will get more if you review this for me! Please I really want to know if it's worth anything! Thanks* 


	3. Fight!

*So far so bad! Sorry, all for not updating, but that's what happens when you have so many classes and so much homework you think you're going to drown in it! Here's the next chapter, and thanks to those who sent out a review, you know who you are, now know that I appreciate it.*  
  
Love Me When I'm Gone  
  
Matt stared at the fiery redhead as she stared back. He noticed her angry glare had subsided a little, especially when Tai looked over at her with a big lopsided grin. Matt stood up politely and extended his hand to the girl he had so recently been slapped by. She may have been a brat, but Matt didn't see a reason not to be a gentleman toward her.  
  
"My name is Matt Ishida. I didn't catch your last name." Matt said, trying to be as formal as humanly possible. He didn't want this girl to think he was going to actually be nice to him after her tantrum she had thrown. Sora tilted her head slightly to the side and flipped her hair as she caught Matt with a sweet smile.  
  
"Takenouchi. Sora Takenouchi. It's a pleasure to meet you, Matt." Sora replied, taking Matt's hand and shaking it. Matt felt Sora's strong grip and stared as she kept her fake smile pasted to her pretty face. Tai put his arm around Sora's waist and smiled as they sat down with Matt on the couch, Sora in between the two boys.  
  
"I met her during break, and we just kind of hit it off!" Tai explained to Matt after he'd asked how Tai had met Sora. Sora took Tai's hand and leaned her head on his shoulder.  
  
"I was walking down a street in Daytona and he ran straight into me!" Sora exclaimed, shooting a glance at Matt, who opened his mouth in protest.  
  
'What the heck?! She was a super bitch to me this morning for doing that, and she's dating Tai after he does it?' Matt thought to himself bitterly. Sora twirled a loose strand of hair from her ponytail and smirked triumphantly at Matt.  
  
"I helped her up, and insisted on taking her out for coffee to make up for my clumsiness. After that we were inseparable!" Tai finished, pulling Sora into a quick kiss on the lips.  
  
"Well that is just so interesting. . . anyway, I have to be going, I have class in about two hours." Matt said, getting up and leaving the smiling couple behind. Tai scratched his head with a confused look on his face, then rummaged through his backpack. Sora watched Matt leave and sighed. She was angry with him for being a jerk, that was for sure. But it was an accident, and even though he was a total ass for not stopping and helping her, she was still entranced by his charm he possessed.  
  
'For a total loser, he's got a lot of charm. Too bad he probably doesn't even know it. And those eyes. . . I've never seen eyes so blue in my life.' Sora thought. She was interrupted by Tai, who rambled on about some sport she didn't care about.  
  
Later in the day, after Matt had his last academic class, he was walking toward the student center with his gym bag. He had one more class that day, a class he had been looking forward to since he woke up. He went into the locker room and pulled out a white uniform and put it on, and tied a blue belt around his waist. Checking the mirror to make sure he looked appropriate for class, Matt walked out barefoot into the gym where other students in the same outfits were stretching and practicing.  
  
'Tae Kwon Do. . . this should get rid of my frustration with this worthless day.' Matt thought as he began to stretch out. He finished his stretching exercises and began to practice the form he was trying to learn in time for his blue belt test. He was midway through the form when someone called his name.  
  
"You're doing it wrong." Sora said, walking over to Matt and standing in front of him in her white uniform. She too had a blue belt wrapped around her slender waist. Matt slumped his shoulders and sighed loudly.  
  
"What are you doing here? Can't I get away from you?" Matt said angrily. Sora laughed the comment off and motioned for Matt to watch her. She performed the form perfectly, and received applause from the other members of the class.  
  
"Well, aren't you Miss Perfect. You're probably a third gup blue belt. I'm a fourth gup. I don't have to know it yet." Matt defended, his pride slightly bruised.  
  
"I'm a fourth." Sora stated before getting into line and listening to the master after he entered.  
  
"Today we begin free fighting. This is the advanced class, so I shouldn't need to explain what you'll be doing, and I won't be going over techniques. Now I want everyone to pair up with someone of the same belt." Master Shoi instructed. The class bowed and moved to find their partners. Matt looked around, desperately searching for another person with a blue belt, but found no one but Sora.  
  
"Looks like we're gonna fight." Sora smirked. Matt moaned and ran a hand through his blonde hair and stood on the other side of Sora, who got into a fighting position. Matt got into a fighting position as well and looked coldly at Sora, who immediately adjusted her glare. Seconds passed and the two battled with glares until it was their turn to fight.  
  
"You're going down. . . . " Matt muttered as they began attacking. Sora started on the offensive with a jumping roundhouse kick followed with a sidekick. Matt blocked both of them easily and turned the tables, returning her attack with a jumping sidekick and a front whip. He hit Sora in the shoulder, and she recoiled, her hand instantly going to where the pain was. Matt took his chance and finished the fight with a punch to the face, but didn't make contact. Sora knew she was defeated and returned to her fighting position to begin another round. Matt also got into position, and the fight was once again on.  
  
"Lucky shot." Sora spat as she began the offensive once again. She did a jumping side kick, and Matt moved to miss it. He then did a turning sidekick, but Sora blocked it and did double low knife hands, one hitting Matt in the neck, the other hitting his hand before he could strike her. Defeated, Matt took his fighting position and glared at Sora, who smirked.  
  
"This is over. I'm going to waste you." Matt growled. Matt attacked with a simple sidekick, and Sora grabbed his foot and pulled him to her so they were nose to nose, then she knocked him to the ground. Before he fell, Matt also grabbed Sora and both of them tumbled to the ground, Matt underneath Sora. They stared at each other for a moment before getting off each other as if the other were made of fire. They adjusted their uniforms and bowed, ending the fight.  
  
"Very good, Matt. Well done, Sora. Now please go work on your kicks. They looked weak." Master Shoi said. Matt and Sora bowed and moved to the mats where they worked on the various kicks they knew. An hour later the class was over, and Matt was walking out to his car when he noticed Sora was standing beside his getting into her own car.  
  
"You know, I think someone's trying to tell us we're going to have to become friends, Matt because we haven't been able to get away from each other all day." Sora said coolly, tossing her things into the backseat and leaning against her car. Matt shook his head and unlocked his car, throwing his bags into it.  
  
"You know what, I don't think so. You didn't even give me a chance to explain myself today, and you hit me. So no, friendship is something I won't be seeing in our near future." Matt argued. Sora actually looked hurt for a moment, then walked over to Matt.  
  
"Alright, well explain it to me then, big shot." She retorted. Matt shook his head and opened the driver's door to his car.  
  
"Not here. Let's go to the café, and I will talk there." Matt answered, looking into Sora's eyes, searching for a clue to her thoughts.  
  
"Fine. Let's go." Sora said, her eyes softening more and more by the second. Matt nodded and got into his car, pulling out and leaving the parking lot for the café.  
  
'What am I getting myself into?' Sora thought as she sighed and got into her car and headed for the café as well.  
  
*Sorry this is terrible, and it's going to slow, but I promise things are going to start coming together sooner or later. Thanks.* 


	4. The Cafe

*Hey all, new chapter for you! My apologies to those of you who read this, and wait for an update, I'm busy, and when I don't get a lot of feedback (or in this case, little or none, lol!) I tend to do other things. So here's another chapter, and hopefully those of you who are reading will review and tell me your thoughts on it. Thanks!*  
  
Love Me When I'm Gone  
  
At the café, Matt took a seat in the corner and waited for Sora to come in. The room was dimly lit, and incense scented the room. In another corner, a man with scruffy black hair was playing his guitar and singing about a poignant love story he'd heard. The bells on the door to the café jingled, and Matt looked up and saw Sora walk in. Seconds passed, and Matt still couldn't stop watching her as she walked toward him. She was really pretty, now that he actually got a good look at her. Sora sat down beside Matt and put a hand to her chin as she watched him and waited for him to talk.  
  
"So. . . why were you an inconsiderate ass this morning? I would just love to know." Sora said, dragging Matt out of his daze. He blinked and scowled at Sora, who smiled innocently.  
  
"It was just a bad morning. My brother was playing April Fool's jokes on me, and I was running late because of freakin' old people driving along on the road. . . and I just didn't want to be late to my class." Matt explained, or rather exploded. Sora nodded, letting the information sink in.  
  
"I understand. I guess I can forgive you." Sora said plainly. Matt laughed, barely audible.  
  
"Oh I'm so glad, because not having you as my friend would destroy my every will to survive." Matt said, feigning injury to his heart. Sora laughed and hit Matt on the arm. He withdrew his arm and cradled it protectively, as if she'd break it if she touched it again.  
  
"So, tell me about yourself. We're obviously going to become friends, so we might as well get to know each other over a good cup of latte." Matt said as he ordered two caramel praline lattes.  
  
"Well, I'm twenty years old, and my parents are divorced. I live with my mother over her flower shop on the east end. My father lives in Kyoto somewhere, I'm not so sure. I haven't seen him since I was about six." Sora said. Matt nodded, his blue eyes watching her as she moved, as she talked. The lattes were brought to the couple, who sipped them cautiously.  
  
"You sound a lot like me. My mom and dad split up when I was six. I haven't really seen my mom since, and I hadn't seen TK until about a year ago when he just kind of turned up. He's seventeen, three years younger than I am. He just said he couldn't stay with her anymore, so me and my dad, we didn't ask." Matt replied. Sora saw the hurt in Matt's eyes when he mentioned his family. She assumed the divorce was hard on him and his brother.  
  
"Tai's sister is TK's age. I wonder if they know each other?" Sora thought aloud. Matt shrugged and sipped his latte slowly. After talking for almost three hours, Sora noticed the time.  
  
"Oh for the love of all that is good and HOLY! It's 7:30! I have to go!" Sora exclaimed, jumping up and grabbing her three empty latte cups and throwing them away. Matt also got up and threw out his trash and followed her out to her car.  
  
"Sora, wait." Matt said simply, causing the young woman to turn around and look at him with wide rust colored eyes. Matt felt his heart flip when she looked at him, and he swallowed hard, knowing what he was about to do would make everything change forever.  
  
"Sora. . . . " Matt said her name again, letting the syllables roll off his tongue as if they were velvet. He walked up to Sora, and without missing a beat, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hard on the mouth. For a moment Sora resisted, but found herself caught up in the moment, his arms, and his lips. Their tongues tangled inside each other's mouths, exploring . . . wanting. After some time, the couple parted, breathing heavily.  
  
"Matt . . . . " Sora whispered, taken completely aback by his sudden outburst of affection toward her. Here she was, sitting in a parking lot with a man she had known for less than twenty four hours, and she was making out with him. She ran a hand through her now disheveled hair and looked up at the taller person with her. She unlocked her rear car door and got in, her hands in her lap and her feet dangling outside the vehicle. Matt knelt down beside the open door and looked at Sora with confused azure eyes. He put his hands on Sora's knees and sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sora. I was outta line, an-" Matt started, but was cut off when Sora grabbed his shirt collar and dragged him into her car with her. Somehow they closed the door as they began kissing passionately. Matt touched Sora's face as if she were made of porcelain and would break at any given second. Sora ran her hands up and down Matt's back and over his chest, eliciting a moan of bliss from him. Matt touched Sora's collarbone and moved his hand delicately down to her shirt hem and underneath the fabric. As they continued to kiss, Matt found his way to Sora's chest and grazed over it lightly.  
  
"Oh my gosh. . . " Sora whispered into Matt's mouth. Matt moved his hand to her waist and held her close as they continued to kiss, the pace growing fierce. After several minutes, Matt moved from Sora's lips to her neck, then down to her collarbone.  
  
"Matt . . . " Sora said, barely audible. Matt stopped and looked up at Sora, who's eyes were half open and shining. He kissed her forehead and cradled her, wrapping his arms around her as he rested his head against hers. For a brief moment neither spoke. Matt looked down at Sora to see she'd fallen asleep in his arms. He checked his watch and saw it was past nine. They'd been in her car for over two hours.  
  
'My how time flies when you're having fun. . . ' Matt thought as he gently woke Sora up. She stretched, and looked up at Matt with sleepy eyes.  
  
"Well, I have to say that this is the most interesting way to make friends I know of." Sora said, her voice tired. Matt laughed and hugged her close. Sora kissed Matt's hand and started to get up, making Matt get up also. The parking lot was empty, not a soul in sight.  
  
"Sora, I know this isn't what was exactly supposed to happen, but it has. I know you're with Tai, and I accept that. I just want you to know that in the short time I have known you, I have grown quite fond of you." Matt said as he opened Sora's driver's door for her.  
  
"I'm quite fond of you too, Matt. But you're right. I'm with Tai. And I like him a lot. I'm just confused right now, I don't know what I want to do with this situation. Let me think on it, ok?" Sora replied. Matt nodded, and closed Sora's car door. He watched her start the engine and drive out of the parking lot. When she was out of sight, Matt got into his car and started driving.  
  
'That was . . . . amazing. She is amazing. But how could I do that to Tai? I knew full well that he was seeing her, and I just made out hard core with her. Maybe I should just . . . . forget about her. Yea, that's what I'll do. Forget the whole thing even happened.' Matt thought as he drove onward toward his home.  
  
Meanwhile, Sora was driving home and thinking about the events that had occurred only minutes prior.  
  
'I don't know what I want. . . do I want Tai? Or Matt, the one who has so much in common with me? This is ridiculous! I already have Tai! I can't just dump him over one mistake! And besides, I still haven't gotten to know Tai all that well! I'll stick with what I have. Who knows if Matt wants me or not?' Sora told herself as she drove.  
  
*There's where this one's gonna stop for now. Sorry! Wait for an update to see where things go!* 


	5. The next day

*New Chapter time! I have tests coming up this week, and I really needed a break. What would be better to do with my break time? Haha, hope you like this!*  
  
Love Me When I'm Gone  
  
Staring at the ceiling with a look of pure confusion, Sora thought about the night before, and the person who had not only waltzed into her life, but captured a piece of her heart as well. She ran a slender hand through her thick red hair and sighed. Sora turned over and looked at the clock, noticing she still had a good hour before she actually had to get up and get ready for class.  
  
'I wonder what he's going to say. . . I wonder if he's going to want me around. . . would he want to kiss me again? NO SORA! That's not what he's gonna wonder. He's not going to want anything because he knows you're with Tai, and you. . . you like Tai. Yeah. . . ' Sora thought, battling herself mentally. The alarm sounded, letting Sora know she had less than an hour left. Sighing, she rose and decided to get to class early.  
  
TK snuck into Matt's room and watched him as he slept in his bed, curled into a tight ball with his arms crossed protectively around his chest. Snickering softly, TK plugged in his electric guitar to the amp he was holding, and set it down beside Matt's ears.  
  
"This'll teach you to super glue me. . . . bastard. . . " TK whispered as he grinned mischievously. He strapped on his red guitar and placed his fingers on the strings. Taking one more moment to look at his peacefully sleeping brother, TK turned his attention back to the instrument. He blasted out an extremely loud chord, and Matt leapt out of bed and fell to the floor, yelling and holding his ears. TK cracked up as he started playing death metal, causing Matt to glare angrily. TK stopped and let the guitar hang from his gangly frame. He pushed a tuft of blonde hair out of his triumphant face as Matt walked dangerously close to him.  
  
"Sometimes I wish I had never taught you how to play that bloody thing. . . " Matt said, nose to nose with his brother. TK smirked and watched Matt walk out into the kitchen and make breakfast.  
  
"Wow, someone's in good spirits. . . " TK replied, walking into his room with his things, then moving into the kitchen and joining his brother. Matt shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, pretending to be nonchalant.  
  
"You met a girl. I can see it in your face. Is she hot? I've seen some of the girls you're interested in, and they're a far cry from pretty." TK said, earning a death glare from Matt yet again.  
  
"For your information, yes I did meet a girl. But she's taken, and I'm not letting her relationship become ruined because of me." Matt stated, scooping scrambled eggs onto TK's plate and then his own.  
  
"Well I think you are into her, because I can see it in your face. You're never this chipper in the morning, and I even punked you! Maybe you should try and make something happen between you two. Does she like you?" TK asked. Matt sniffed at TK and shook his head.  
  
"I don't know, and I don't wanna know. So quit with the 20 questions, okay?" Matt snapped. For a moment, hurt settled into TK's eyes. He shook his head and finished his breakfast, then left the table and Matt.  
  
'Great. . . now I yelled at him. What in the hell is wrong with me?' Matt thought. Moments later, TK came out of his room. He was dressed in a blue button down shirt similar to the white one he wore the day before. Black jeans finished his look, and his hair was spiked messily like his brother's.  
  
"Wow look at you, Mr. GQ." Matt piped. TK smirked and checked himself in the hall mirror.  
  
"I gotta look good today, I'm getting myself a date to homecoming." TK replied, settling some of his wild hair with his hand.  
  
"Kari?" Matt said plainly. TK nodded and grabbed his back pack. He opened the door and waved at his brother before taking off out of the apartment. Matt cleaned up the breakfast mess and went into his own room where he pulled a loose pair of jeans on and dug through his closet for his gray sweater. He threw it on and looked in the mirror, satisfied. Locking the door, Matt left for the college.  
  
Sora was sitting down in the lobby before her class, reading a book pensively. Footsteps could be heard down the hall, and Sora looked up to see Matt walking over to her, roses in hand. Smiling, the redhead jumped out of her seat and walked up to Matt, who looked into her eyes with pure love. He offered the girl his flowers, which she accepted. Sora smelled the soft fragrance of the roses and smiled as Matt took her into a passionate kiss, right in the middle of the lobby. The couple was oblivious to the world around them, to the whooping students and gawking teachers who walked by. Sora felt the world spinning as Matt picked her up in his arms and walked with her down the hall and out of the school. . .  
  
"Sora! Are you in there?" Tai asked, fanning his hand in front of Sora's face. She shook her head, realizing she was daydreaming. She looked down at her book and noticed she hadn't even been holding it right side up. Tai laughed lightly and took a seat next to her, closing the book and setting it on the coffee table.  
  
"You were totally spaced out!" Tai babbled, quickly moving on to a new subject without showing much concern whatsoever for his girlfriend. Sora sighed and listened to Tai drone on about soccer, pretending to be interested.  
  
'This is not right. I know what I want, why am I sitting here pretending that I want Tai?' Sora thought to herself, slipping back into her dream- like state.  
  
"Sora. . . you're not listening!" Tai griped, catching her attention once again. She looked into Tai's dark eyes and tried her best to keep her attention from drifting. Footsteps behind her were heard, and Tai stopped talking to greet the person behind Sora.  
  
"Hey Matt." Tai greeted, then burst back into conversation. Sora tensed and watched Tai, noticing that Matt had taken a seat across from them in a small chair. He put on a pair of reading glasses and pulled out a book. But it was not only any book, it was the exact same one Sora had been 'reading' before she slipped off into her thoughts.  
  
"Tai. . . . " Sora started. This made Tai stop talking, and look at her with a small smile.  
  
"Tai. . . I need to talk to you." Sora said, her voice quavering ever so slightly. She noticed that this caught Matt's attention, and he was watching carefully across the coffee table.  
  
"Sure, what's on your mind?" Tai asked, completely ignoring Sora's serious tone and quavering voice.  
  
'God, he doesn't even know something's wrong.' Sora thought, shaking her head. Her rusty eyes became cloudy with sadness, and Tai's eyes narrowed with confusion.  
  
"What's wrong? I can tell something isn't right." Tai asked, finally getting the picture. Sora shook her head and rose from her seat, taking her things with her as she left the lobby. Tai stared at her as she walked away, and then turned to Matt, who had watched the entire scene, but averted his eyes in time so Tai saw nothing.  
  
"She's a really different person. . . " Tai mused, taking out his math homework. Matt watched Tai in amazement for a moment, then spoke up.  
  
"Tai. . . don't you think you should go find her and ask her what's going on? I mean, she obviously wanted to tell you something." Matt said, his blue eyes narrowing. HE wouldn't have let Sora get away that easily. Tai shook his head and got his calculator out.  
  
"She'll tell me when she's ready to. I'm not worried. It's not like we're married or something." Tai replied. Matt sighed and rolled his eyes. Tai was his best friend, but he could be so dense sometimes! He got up and gathered his things, said goodbye to Tai, and headed out the door toward the grove where he saw Sora walk toward. He found her sitting in front of the fountain, watching the small spout of water as it rose and fell.  
  
"Can I sit here?" Matt asked, startling Sora. Sora nodded and let Matt sit down beside her. Instead of feeling the passion she felt last night, she felt an awkward silence envelop her. Matt ran a hand through his blonde mess of hair and sighed.  
  
"You were gonna tell him about us, weren't you?" Matt said quietly. Sora stiffened, particularly when Matt mentioned himself and her as 'us'. She shook her head, sending Matt into a fit of confusion.  
  
"Look, I know you are into me. I'm not stupid. Last night you showed your interest in me, and I have to tell you. . . I'm not interested." Sora blurted out, immediately regretting what she had said. Matt looked shocked for a moment, then composed himself.  
  
"Well, then I guess it's a good time to tell you. . . I don't want you either." Matt said, his tone slightly icy. Sora turned around and stared him straight in the face, her eyes shocked and hurt.  
  
"How can you just do that with someone. . . kiss them with so much emotion. . . and be so empty? If it meant nothing, how could you do it?" Sora asked, her voice shaking.  
  
"I dunno, you just can." Matt stated, getting up and leaving Sora sitting by the fountain. She watched him walk away in shock and when she realized her mistake's gravity, Sora cried silent tears, burying her face in her hands.  
  
Matt walked into his class and plopped down into the wooden seat angrily. How could she say that? He knew she had feelings for him, she had showed them so willingly the night before. And she knew he had feelings for her, but yet she shunned him. Staring at his black notebook, Matt felt so much pain and frustration he could barely stand it. Suddenly his phone vibrated, and he looked at the screen to see a text message from Sora on it.  
  
'Matt I'm sorry. Please, can we talk? -S' Matt read to himself. He stared at the message for a moment, then deleted it. He wasn't going to let her get to him like she had the previous night.  
  
'You're not gonna get me, Sora Takenouchi. I won't let you.' Matt thought to himself, taking out a pencil and jotting down the class notes as the professor began lecture.  
  
*What a mess. . . and I'm sorry it took a turn like it has, but believe me, this is one road filled with turns, twists, and sorrows. So please read it and review for me! Thanks!* 


	6. Revenge

*YES! No one likes this fic! I LOVE IT! Hehe, I don't really think that, it's just that my inbox never contains any reviews on this one. . . and since I had to re-do it, I lost the 2 I had accumulated before! *tear* Anyway, c'mon, send me something! Tell me how you hate it, and hope my computer explodes into flames because of it! I don't care, anything goes!*  
  
Love Me When I'm Gone  
  
Matt walked out of his class and headed down the stairs toward the parking lot. On his way down he brushed past Sora, who was walking up toward her class. She stopped and turned, looking at him with pained eyes as he kept moving. He didn't look back at the girl, and he didn't care. She was just using him. Sighing, Sora kept walking to her class.  
  
"So she said yes." TK said suddenly as the two brothers ate dinner later that day. Matt nodded, but didn't speak. He honestly could care less about TK's little attraction to Kari. He had his own problem with his attraction to Sora.  
  
"Just thought you would like to know." TK added, getting sick of the awkward silence. He didn't like feeling uncomfortable in his own home. He did pay half of the rent, after all. That was a good sign considering he was only seventeen. He watched Matt sulk over his food and finally pounded the table, startling his older brother.  
  
"What's your problem, TK?!" Matt said, his eyes surprised. TK just shook his head and looked angrily down at the table.  
  
"I'm sorry, it's just that you have been in a terrible mood for a couple days. I want you to lighten up! What's eating you?" TK asked, trying not to sound annoyed. Matt's azure eyes narrowed.  
  
"I knew it. You're into her. Well, let me fill you in. Tai was talking to Kari about her, and he says he doesn't really want to date her. So she's all yours, go get her!" TK cried, throwing his hands up and leaving the table.  
  
"I won't do any such thing, Takeru. She used me." Matt snapped. TK turned and faced Matt, knowing something was wrong when his full name was used. Matt nodded, his anger showing through his fake composure.  
  
"She used you? How?" TK asked, sitting back down at the table.  
  
"She and I. . . got involved last night. Today she wrote me off like I was nothing, and then decided later that she wanted to talk." Matt said, emphasizing his last word with frustration.  
  
"So what are you going to do? Do you have feelings for her?" TK questioned. Matt nodded, his blue eyes softening at the mention of feelings.  
  
"Yeah. . . but I'm not going to let her use me anymore. She's gonna have to earn me now." Matt said, getting up and clearing his and TK's dishes. TK helped, then retreated to his room and picked up his guitar, picking out the notes to a song he knew. His thoughts crossed to Matt and how upset he was that he'd been played.  
  
'Well, Mr. Ladies Man. . . .now you know how it feels to want something.' TK thought, strumming slowly on the guitar.  
  
Sora walked through her apartment absently, straightening things as she went. Tai was coming over, and she wanted things to look nice for when he arrived. Sora sighed, wishing Matt would have called her to talk.  
  
'Why would he want to talk to you after you blew him off?' Sora thought as she wiped a spot of dust off her entertainment setup. The doorbell rang, and Sora was torn from her thoughts to open the door for Tai.  
  
"Hey Sora." Tai said, smiling a silly smile at her. Sora returned Tai's smile weakly, but Tai didn't seem to notice much.  
  
"You have a great place. It's very. . . neat." Tai said, trying to make some sort of an attempt at conversation. Sora nodded, and the two of them looked away suddenly, then faced each other again.  
  
"Tai. . ."  
  
"Sora. . ."  
  
The two of them smiled nervously as they spoke in unison. Tai motioned for Sora to start, and she swallowed nervously. Running a hand through her hair, Sora walked over to the window and looked longingly out at the city.  
  
"Tai. . . I don't think I can do this. I mean I like you and all, but this. . . this was something that happened too fast." Sora stated, rushing through her thought as fast as she could. Tai put his hand on her shoulder and looked at Sora with understanding chocolate eyes.  
  
"I came here to tell you the same thing. I think it's better you and I just be friends." Tai added, bringing Sora into a gentle hug.  
  
"I'm glad we could work this out, Tai." Sora whispered, holding onto him tightly. Tai nodded, squeezing Sora tight. They parted and smiled broadly at each other.  
  
"You wanna go get some ice cream?" Sora asked, sounding genuinely happy for the first time that day. Tai nodded and opened the door for Sora, and the two of them walked out into the chilled night air.  
  
Matt walked down the sidewalk toward the ice cream place. He rubbed his hands together and sighed loudly. Why couldn't TK go out and get his own ice cream fix? He opened the door, but stopped when he heard a familiar laugh inside. Matt peeked in and saw Tai and Sora sitting in a booth, eating ice cream and laughing hysterically. He tensed, and fought back his jealous anger that was welling within him.  
  
'She is something else. . . "Oh I wanna talk! I'm Sora Takenouchi, and I really like you Matt!" Whatever. . . ' Matt thought to himself, walking in and snatching up TK's favorite, not acknowledging anything around him. Sora noticed Matt buying something at the counter and waved as he walked out, but got nothing in response.  
  
'He must not have seen me. I'll stop by his house later after Tai goes home.' Sora thought, turning her attention back to Tai.  
  
Matt walked home in the cold, watching as his breath left his lips. They looked like clouds as they floated and dissipated. Carrying the ice cream, Matt stalked down the sidewalk, images of Sora and Tai sitting happily together invading his head.  
  
"That girl has a lot of nerve, making me feel this way. . . how dare she?" Matt whispered to himself, his voice shaking with anger. Opening the door to his apartment, Matt walked in, tossing the frozen snack to his brother before retreating to his room and slamming the door.  
  
TK was almost asleep on the couch when a knock on the door brought him to his feet. The groggy teen opened the door to Sora, who looked up at him with confused cinnamon eyes.  
  
"Is this where Matt Ishida lives?" Sora asked. TK nodded and motioned for her to come inside.  
  
"I'm TK Takaishi, his younger brother. Matt's in his room down the hall." TK replied, showing Sora where Matt was hiding. Thanking TK, Sora walked down the hall and opened the door to Matt's room, slipping in quietly. Matt was asleep on his bed, still wearing his street clothes. Sora sat down and shook Matt, who woke up suddenly. Their eyes met, and Matt frowned slightly.  
  
"What do you want?" Matt asked groggily.  
  
"I want to talk to you about Tai and me." Sora replied, looking down at the floor. Matt sat up, swinging his feet onto the floor as he did so.  
  
"Why do you and Tai concern me?" Matt asked, his eyes icy and cold. Sora looked into Matt's angry ocean of blue and sighed.  
  
"We're not together. I broke it off." Sora said, her voice soft. Matt was shocked by her confession, but not bought.  
  
"Why? What was wrong with Tai?" Matt questioned, keeping the stony look on his face.  
  
"Because. . . because I am attracted to you, Matt. You and I, we're so alike." Sora said, her voice growing softer. Matt wasn't swayed by her words, he was too bitter to be swayed. He was going to give Sora a taste of his own medicine.  
  
"You do?" Matt asked, pretending to act dumb. Sora nodded, and Matt pasted a fake smile on his handsome face. He moved his hand onto Sora's and looked into her eyes for a moment before leaning down and kissing her lips. Sora wrapped her arms around Matt's neck and kissed him back hungrily. Matt pushed Sora down onto the bed and got on top of her, propping himself up on his elbows.  
  
TK was soundly sleeping on the couch when Sora finally emerged from Matt's room an hour later. Her hair was a mess, and her lipstick was worn off. They hadn't had sex, but they had explored each other more closely than they had the previous night. Matt followed the girl to the door and let her out. Sora leaned in to kiss Matt once again, but Matt stopped her.  
  
"I'll see you later, Sora." Matt said, another false smile on his face. Sora smiled weakly and walked out the door. Matt shut the door and leaned against it, a look of revenge on his face.  
  
"What did you do, Matt?" TK asked, shaking Matt out of his thoughts. The teen had woken up, despite all efforts to keep him from doing so. Matt walked past TK toward his room, then stopped.  
  
"I'm giving her a taste of what it feels like to be used, that's all." Matt said simply before going back to his bedroom and shutting the door. TK sighed loudly and flopped back onto the couch.  
  
*Wow, Matt's a jerk. . . but who thinks Sora deserved it for being a brat after the night before? Review and let me know what you think! This might be the final chapter, since I have ZERO reviews for this thing! Grrrr. . . . * 


	7. Revenge's Name Is Meg

*Holy crap, someone asked me to update this. . . I think they might have meant one of my new CCS fics? Anyhow, here it is, hope you like!*  
  
Love Me When I'm Gone  
  
Sora awoke the next day with a smile on her face. The evening before with Matt had been heaven to her. He was so gentle, so . . . good. This was what she wanted in a boyfriend; not that Tai didn't fulfill those qualities, she just wasn't attracted to him as much as she was Matt.  
  
Getting out of bed, Sora walked into the shower and let the hot water wash over her creamy skin. When finished, Sora walked out of the shower and caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. She had three large red marks on her neck, all thanks to Matt. Sighing and rolling her eyes good naturedly, Sora walked out into her room and began to get ready for school.  
  
Matt and TK ate breakfast in silence. TK would glance up at Matt every so often to see a satisfied smile plastered to his face. The younger of the two narrowed his eyes angrily.  
  
"You know, if I recall correctly, you were pretty hurt when she did it to you." TK commented, dipping his spoon into his bowl of cereal. Matt sniffed, obviously not amused.  
  
"She brought this onto herself. She wanted to play games, I'm playing." Matt retorted, shoving strawberry slathered toast into his mouth. TK's blue eyes were stormy as he finished his breakfast.  
  
"This is a great lesson for me. When you are into someone, you should use them and hurt them. That'll draw the ladies like flies." TK said sarcastically.  
  
"You know TK, how about you just shut the hell up?! You don't know anything about this, and you keep talking about it like you do! Just go to school and forget about it! Damn!" Matt yelled, obviously growing more and more angry with his younger brother. TK scowled, but complied, getting his jacket and heading out the door. Matt stared at what remained of his breakfast, then pounded the table with his fist.  
  
'No, you're not going to let her off that easy. She's going to learn how it feels to be treated like garbage.' Matt thought as he dusted some loose crumbs off his shirt and gathered his things.  
  
At school, Matt walked into the lobby to find Sora already there waiting. He looked at her, and for a moment the whole plan about giving her a taste of her own medicine flew directly out the window.  
  
Standing before him stood what he thought was quite possibly the most beautiful angel he had ever laid eyes on. Sora was wearing a pink dress that was just long enough to reach her knees. It had two inch wide straps on either side, and was slightly shining in the sunlight. Her hair was half up, part of it pinned into rolling curls while the other part lay in waves. Her makeup was subtle, and she was just plain stunning.  
  
Shaking off his stunned reaction, Matt walked toward the girl, who smiled warmly at him. Sora watched as Matt approached her, but then passed her by and sat with a girl in his class. Confusion set in for Sora, and she wondered why he hadn't even bothered to say hello.  
  
'What's that all about? Eh, must be a little nervous. I did dress up quite a bit more than usual.' Sora thought, ripping her attention from Matt, who was talking to the other girl. She started to read her textbook when he heard Matt and the mystery girl laughing happily.  
  
"That's really funny! I can't believe you did that to your little brother!" the petite brunette cried as she laughed lightly. Matt smiled; this was his perfect opportunity. He sidled up closer to the girl, who smiled warmly at him. It was now or never.  
  
"Hey Meg, would you want to go get something to eat tonight?" Matt asked, trying to be loud enough for Sora to hear. He smiled as he saw Sora's body tense slightly.  
  
"Sure, what time?" Meg asked. Matt flashed a lady-killer smile and told her what time he would be picking her up. Meg gave Matt her address and phone number, then rose to her feet and walked to her class. Matt sat back and crossed his arms, waiting for Sora to take the bait.  
  
"Matt?" he smiled when he realized she had stood and was now opposite him. Matt looked up at Sora, his blue eyes seemingly innocent.  
  
"Matt, I thought . . . you and I . . . last night . . . " Sora trailed, her cinnamon eyes showing her hurt feelings. Matt cocked his head to the side and smiled slightly.  
  
"Baby, I never said we were gonna be anything." Matt responded. Sora felt her cheeks get hot as the blood rushed to her cheeks. She frowned, her eyes narrowing with anger.  
  
"You used me, you lying son of a-" Sora started.  
  
"I didn't lie to you. Did I tell you we were gonna be together after last night? No. Now you know what it feels like to be treated the way you treated me." Matt retorted coldly, snatching up his backpack and heading up to his class. Sora watched him as he left, dumbfounded.  
  
'I didn't mean for you to feel used, Matt.' Sora thought as she felt tears well up in her eyes.  
  
*It's short, but there you go. Next chapter (if there will be one): an assignment in Tae Kwon Do puts Matt and Sora together, and a mistake is made.* 


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